Zach Galifianakis

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Biography

Zach Galifianakis (born Zacharius Knight Galifianakis, 1.10.1969)

Zach Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his TV and film appearances, including his own Comedy Central Presents. After starting off as an underground comedian, Zach's career hit the mainstream after he appeared in the Todd Phillips-directed comedy movies, The Hangover and Due Date.

Zach Galifianakis: Childhood

Zach Galifianakis was born to Mary Francis and Harry Galifianakis, in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. His mother ran a community arts centre and his father was a heating oil vendor. Zach was raised as Greek Orthodox; his father's faith. He attended Wilkes Central High School, then North Carolina State University, majoring in communication.

Zach Galifianakis: Career

Zach Galifianakis' TV career began in 1996, when he played the role of the stoner, Billy, in Boston Common. After this, he started work as a writer on Saturday Night Live, but only lasted for two weeks.

He went on to land a number of roles in films such as Out Cold, Corky Romano, Bubble Boy with Jake Gyllenhaal and Heartbreakers, with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta and Sigourney Weaver.

In September 2001, Galifianakis' episode of Comedy Central Presents was aired, featuring an a capella group singing 'Eternal Flame' by The Bangles. The following year, Galifianakis became a talk show host, with Late World with Zach. His next TV role came when he landed the role of the coroner Davis in Tru Calling. The series also featured Eliza Dushku and Jason Priestley. Galifianakis has also appeared a number of times on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Zach Galifianakis then starred in Dog Bites Man, a spoof news show, as Alan Finger. He also appeared on an episode of The Sarah Silverman Program.

2006 saw Galifianakis feature in Fiona Apple's music video, for the song 'Not About Love', lip-synching the lyrics to the song. The following year, Kanye West asked him and Will Oldham to do the same for his song 'Can't Tell Me Nothing.

On the comedy website Funny or Diem Zach Galifianakis has a series of videos entitled 'Between Two Ferns', in which he interviews a number of celebrities, including Charlize Theron, Michael Cera, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell and Bruce Willis.

In 2009, Zach Galifianakis starred in the hit comedy movie The Hangover, along with Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Heather Graham. Following his role in The Hangover, Galifianakis appeared in the Oscar-nominated Up in the Air, which starred George Clooney. Having only lasted for two weeks as a writer on Saturday Night Live, Galifianakis then went on to host an episode of the show.

2010 saw Zach Galifianakis appear in a number of films, including Dinner for Schmucks, with Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, It's Kind of a Funny Story and Due Date, with Robert Downey Jr. It was also announced that he would star in the sequel to The Hangover.

Zach Galifianakis: Personal Life

Zach Galifianakis is dating Quinn Lundberg, the co-founder of the charity, Growing Voices.

Biography by Contactmusic.com

Zach Galifianakis at the world premiere of Disney 'A Wrinkle in Time' held at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the film stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and Gugu Mbatha-Raw - Los Angeles, California, United States - Monday 26th February 2018

Time is an extraordinarily complicated thing which does not always behave in the way you might expect. In fact, 13-year-old Meg Murry (Storm Reid), her brother Charles (Deric McCabe) and her friend Calvin (Levi Miller) are about to discover that there's a lot more to the universe in which they live than they could possibly have imagined.

Haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her scientist father Alex (Chris Pine), Meg finds herself at the home of three women named Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which (Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey); women who may seem like ordinary neighbours at first, but are in fact supernatural beings with the ability to transport themselves through time and space.

They offer to send the children to space so that Meg can seek out her father, and find out what's really out there. Unfortunately, there's a darkness that has engulfed Mr Murry, and it is threatening to consume the entire universe. Meg is the only person with the ability to bring the light back, so she must release her inner warrior and be braver and smarter than she's ever had to be before.

A spin-off from 2014's awesome The Lego Movie, this raucously paced action-comedy is proof that nonstop hilarity isn't enough. Genre fans will adore the relentless barrage of silliness, as wordplay, sight-gags, film references and elaborate jokes pile on top of each other. But it's all rather exhausting, because the story is simply too slippery for the audience to hold onto.

When we catch up with Batman (again voiced by Will Arnett), he's revelling in his lonely life surrounded by his huge collection of gadgets in the cave under Wayne Manor, where his only companion is his sardonic butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes). But an encounter with the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) gets him thinking about his solitude, and new commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) wants to work with him rather than let him do everything on his own. Then he inadvertently adopts the orphan Dick (Michael Cera), just as the Joker puts into motion a nefarious plan to unleash an army of bad guys on Gotham City.

The film pings from one crazed action set-piece to the next, packing comical touches into every image and each line of dialogue. The audience has little choice but to hold on for the ride, and since it's impossible to see every gag that flies at us, this is clearly a movie that requires multiple viewings. The problem is that the story and characters aren't very inviting. Arnett's gruff whisper is genuinely hilarious, especially in his postmodern flights of fancy, but Batman is a preening idiot, really. Dawson, Cera, Fiennes and Galifianakis are more likeable, but are sidelined in the story. And the sprawling, mega-starry supporting cast offers a continual stream of solid laughs. But it's all so frantic that the sentimental themes in the story never get a chance to resonate before the script makes fun of them.

Scott Eastwood hits the red carpet in Los Angeles, Ryan Gosling meets his fans in London, and Paul Reubens gets back into Pee-Wee gear for his new movie. Trailers this week offer glimpses at a comedy from Jack Black, action with Pierce Brosnan, both comedy and action with Zach Galifianakis, and a moving documentary about Amy Winehouse...

Rising-star hunk Scott Eastwood hit the red carpet in Los Angeles this week for the premiere of his new movie The Longest Ride, a romantic drama based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. Sparks was on-hand as well, along with costars Oona Chaplin, Britt Robertson, Melissa Benoist and director George Tillman Jr.

David is a night guard for a company that sells armoured vehicles (known as Loomis Fargo & Company) in North Carolina; and he's not exactly what you'd call a genius. Desperate for a lifestyle away from his routine, low paid job, he sets up a massive heist; intending to break into a vault containing millions of dollars with his co-conspirators Kelly and Steve. They manage to make off with more than $17 million, making it one of the largest bank heists in American history (technically so, as most of the money belonged to the bank). Initially, the police have no leads and David hopes that using the money for something good will redeem him in the eyes of God. The FBI has other ideas when it becomes clear whose behind the robbery.

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu continues to reject traditional narrative structures with this whizzy, ambitious exploration of celebrity, art and commerce. And the clever casting of Michael Keaton adds another layer of meaning to the whole film, which is shot as one long wildly entertaining single take and pointedly subtitled "The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance". Blackly hilarious and darkly emotional, this is an exploration of how show business can push a person to the brink of madness. And maybe knock them over the edge.

Keaton stars as Riggan, once a top movie star known for his three Birdman blockbusters. But he hasn't done anything notable since, and is now trying to reboot his career by directing, adapting and starring in a Broadway play based on a Raymond Chandler story. The problem is that no one will let him escape from the iconic superhero character he's best known for, least of all Birdman himself, who mentally haunts and taunts Riggan at every turn. Meanwhile in the theatre, Riggan locks horns with costar Mike (Edward Nortan), a controlling show-off brought in at the request of lead actress Lesley (Naomi Watts). As opening night approaches, Riggan and his producer-friend Jake (Zach Galifianakis) are also struggling with the demands of high-maintenance costar Laura (Andrea Riseborough), plus distractions from Riggan's daughter-assistant (Emma Stone) and ex-wife (Amy Ryan).

Inarritu and ace cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki tell this story as if it's one continuous snaky shot with the camera following Riggan through the maze-like backstage corridors, into the theatre and out into nearby Times Square streets. The virtuoso filmmaking is simply breathtaking, and it works perfectly because all of the characters are packed with pungent details and fully developed inner lives. The actors find all kinds of quirks that are both hilarious and darkly thoughtful, creating jagged interaction as they cross paths with each other, sparring riotously for attention. Every scene bristles with startling revelations and barbed jabs at the Hollywood system.

Zach Galifianakis and Louis CK have teamed up for the new FX comedy show 'Baskets' - set to debut in 2016.

FX has placed a 10-episode for 'Baskets' - a comedy produced by and starring Zach Galifianakis about a corporate businessman who leaves his job to pursue his dreams of becoming a respected clown. The show will begin production next year with a scheduled launch in 2016. The pilot was written by Galifianakis, Louis CK - who also produces - and Jonathan Kristel, who directed the episode.

"Zach Galifianakis, Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel have created an absolutely brilliant show," said Eric Schrier, co-president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. "To say Zach's portrayal of the lead character Chip Baskets is hilarious/unique/riveting/fascinating would be an understatement. We can't wait for the world to meet him."

20 years ago, Riggan Thomas (Michael Keaton) played the iconic Birdman - a comic book hero for the big screen. Having watched his career dissolve in the intervening years, Riggan has adapted a Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love and intends to direct and star in it as part of his big come back. In an attempt to show the world that he still matters, he ends up struggling most of all to prove his worth to both himself and his family. As troubles begin to emerge in the run up to the opening night, Thomas becomes haunted by his early fame, manifesting as a Birdman alter ego.

The Los Angeles Film Festival opens with the hotly anticipated Snowpiercer as Dustin Hoffman films a Roald Dahl story in London. And trailers tease for new movies starring Thwaites, Alba, Wilson, Brosnan, Pike and Wahlberg...

Also in London, Dustin Hoffman was caught on camera shooting scenes for his new film Esio Trot, based on the Roald Dahl story about a bachelor who falls for his neighbour, but is frustrated that she only seems to care about her pet tortoise. Costars include Judi Dench and James Corden. Take a peak at the Dustin Hoffman filming photos here.

Riggan Thompson used to be a major movie star having played a much-loved onscreen superhero, Birdman, in his more prolific years. However, he's starting to believe he was just a one trick pony as he struggles desperately to get his Broadway debut underway having just written his first play. Things just don't seem to be going right for Riggin, however, when everything surrounding the production begins to fall apart and he has to cast a younger and cockier actor for the main role - a man he utterly abhors and feels he simply cannot work with. Not only that, but his personal life is also taking a massive blow and he must find a way to reconnect with his family so that, maybe, he can re-discover himself along the way.